White Hat Ball: Protecting Today’s Children to Build a Safer Tomorrow

This year, BlueVoyant is proud to be the headline premium sponsor of the White Hall Ball, which takes place on Friday 25 March and is dedicated to raising funds to support Childline and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), the UK's leading children’s charity. As we look to grow our presence in the UK, we are honoured to align with such a remarkable and important cause.

At BlueVoyant, our mission is to protect governments, companies, and economies from cyber disruption. Whilst our function protects the organisations, our purpose also extends to the people and communities that these organisations serve. In short, protecting people is at the heart of everything we do. In parallel, the NSPCC exists to protect children — to end cruelty to children in both the digital and the real world.

Founded in 2006, the White Hat Ball is a charity event that makes a difference and has fast become a staple of the security and risk calendar. The annual event’s mission is to unite the cybersecurity and risk community with a common purpose of raising money for charity. Since the first White Hat Ball, the White Hat Events Committee has raised more than £2 million for children’s safety. The last ball in 2020 raised more than £193,000, allowing the NSPCC’s Childline service to answer almost 50,000 calls from vulnerable children.

Building a Safer Tomorrow

As experts in cybersecurity, BlueVoyant knows that supporting and educating the people and organisations targeted by those seeking to do them harm is a vital part of building resilience. We have been involved in cases that include investigating threats against children; and we are passionate about this subject.

Online abuse of children is a growing problem. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen children spend more time online than ever before, giving predatory actors opportunities to commit acts of grooming; sexual abuse; stalking; harassment; and cyber bullying.

By sharing accessible information and guidance about the safe use of digital platforms, the NSPCC plays a vital role in equipping young people with the skills and awareness they need to protect themselves online.

The NSPCC’s Childline service is a crucial lifeline, providing safe, free support and advice from counsellors 24 hours a day, seven days a week for children aged 19 and under. The NSPCC’s incredible learning resources also help parents, caregivers, and teachers to better understand the new and varied risks children face online. Equally important, these resources also enable the development of a supportive ecosystem for safe internet exploration.

How to Help

We can all play our part in raising awareness around the vital work of the NSPCC, not only by supporting the charity financially but also by volunteering. We can also support aligned charities and organisations, like the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP). As experts in cybersecurity, we can apply our skills to improving online safety whilst protecting those targeted from malicious cybercriminals and the cyber threat landscape.

This event will provide an enjoyable opportunity to unite our industry, celebrate the incredible work of the NSPCC, and most crucially, contribute to the vital mission of this charity. We hope to see you there.

James Tamblin is the President of BlueVoyant UK.